Police: Mom let teen son sell pot, DSS called over 4-year-old

Tuesday

A Gastonia mother allowed her 16-year-old son to sell marijuana from her home while a 4-year-old sibling was also present, according to police.

Dusti Wells Stamey, 41, and her teenage son both face drug-related charges, while Stamey faces an additional charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Stamey said she does not allow her son to sell pot from her home.

“They blew it all out of proportion,” Stamey said of her arrest.

“He does not sell pot. He’s 16 years old,” Stamey added.

Gastonia Police Officer C.L. Thomasson went to Stamey’s home at 2108 Withers St. in the early morning hours of Tuesday to investigate a runaway case, according to a warrant affidavit.

Stamey invited Officer Thomasson into her home.

“Upon asking whether or not the juvenile in question was there, Dusti Stamey advised he was in the room with her son,” Thomasson wrote. “When the door to his room was opened, the runaway juvenile came out and there was an immediate odor of burnt marijuana coming from the room.”

Inside the room officers reported finding a little more than one-half ounce of marijuana, which was packaged individually in small plastic baggies, along with several glass devices used to smoke marijuana, a digital scale, rolling papers and a grinder.

Stamey told the officers she knew her son smoked marijuana in his room, according to the warrant affidavit.

In addition to contributing to the delinquency of a minor charge, officers also charged Stamey with maintaining a dwelling to keep a controlled substance.

She was in jail about two hours, but was released around 5:30 a.m. after posting $5,000 bail.

The 16-year-old son also was released after posting $5,000 bond.

He faces charges of possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana, misdemeanor possession of marijuana and maintaining a dwelling to keep a controlled substance.

Police notified the Department of Social Services of the incident because of the 4-year-old child. Stamey did not lose custody of the child, she said.

“They’ve already been here,” Stamey said Tuesday of social workers. “They said she was perfectly safe.”

Stamey said she was asleep when police came to her home around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday. She said she did not know that her son had a visitor at the time.

She said because police found drugs in the home both she and her son were arrested.

“I hope you don’t make me out to be a bad guy because I’m not,” Stamey said.

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